動植物 Recreation
Recreation There are a large number of recreational activities in the World of Shiizun, created for both simple enjoyment and fierce competition. These range from physically demanding sports such as Airball or Ice Dodging to games like Pai Sho that challenge the mind. Many games of a particular nation incorporate that nation's native element. For example, Air is utilized for Airball, and earth for Earth Soccer. Winter Lands 'Ice Dodging' Ice dodging is a rite of passage for young men in the Winter Lands. When a young boy reaches the age of fourteen, his father takes him along with two others in the village, and lets the boy captain the boat through a series of icebergs that are difficult to maneuver through. If the boy manages to steer through, he and the two others will be awarded a mark from the boy's father. The mark with a crescent moon is the Mark of the Brave, the mark with a curved line and a dot underneath is the Mark of the Wise, and the Mark of the Trusted is a curved mark. 'Ice Marbles' Ice marbles is a game played by the citizens of the Winter lands, invovling tiny balls of crystaline ice. 'Penguin Sledding' Penguin sledding is a children's pastime in which one mounts the back of an otter penguin, and sleds down hills of snow and through natural channels carved through glaciers. It is thoroughly enjoyed by both the rider and the "sled". Spring Lands 'Earth Rumble' This underground tournament is held in a giant earthen arena in Tochi No Eien No Hana. The Earth Rumble competitions feature flamboyant fighters with theatrical stage names, each trying to verbally intimidate their opponent before knocking the other out of the ring with earthbending. The competition is a popular attraction; the stands at Earth Rumble are typically full except for the front rows, which are in danger of being pummeled by flying rocks and losing competitors. 'Earth Soccer' Earth soccer is a game played just like soccer, but with the element of Earth to guide and move the ball. Earth soccer, being a somewhat gritty sport, is commonly played by the lower-class citizens. 'Elephant Koi Riding' The elephant koi is a fish that resides around the areas of the Western sea. These gigantic koi are very friendly and do not mind taking on a passenger. Being able to hold one's breath is a must, as is keeping an eye out for the unagi, a monstrous-sized eel; if the koi gets eaten by the unagi, the rider goes down with it. Summer Lands 'Gambling' There are several popular types of gambling in the Summer lands, including the shell game, where the dealer places a rock under one of three cups and shuffles them around, challenging the player to guess which cup contains the rock. The "dice" game is similar to craps. It should be noted that in many times of gambling, earth manipulation can be used to an unfair advantage to feel the vibrations of the rock and such. Another game consists of a player using a hammer to hit a base that throws a puck upwards along a track. At the top is a bell. The game is won when the player strikes the base hard enough to ring the bell with the puck. 'Hide and Explode' Hide and explode is a children's game similar to hide and seek, but with a twist. It is the bane of parents, as it involves the seeker singing the clothes of those they find to mark them as found. 'Kuai Ball' Kuai ball is a sport similar to volleyball, but played with both hands and feet, and it is played in a round field. It is usually played on the beach and is popular among vacationers. A background in martial arts is beneficial in order to be competent against opponents. Spring Lands 'Airball' Played on a field of evenly spaced vertical poles, Airball is a popular sport with the objective of scoring points by shooting a ball into a goal. The aforementioned goal is a circle that spins when hit. One scores a point by either leaping from pole to pole until one is able to simply toss the ball in or by manipulating the ball and causing it to ricochet and eventually enter the goal. Being that the game is greatly dependent on one's Air manipulation skills, if any of the players are non-Air elementalists, the sport becomes rather one-sided and gives the Air users an unfair advantage. International 'Card Game' This game seems similar to solitaire. On each of the card faces is one of the elemental symbols: Air, Water, Fire, or Earthl. The setup of the cards is similar to the forty-card kabufuda deck, which has four suits of ten cards each, numbered one through ten. Elemental Showdown Elemental Showdown is a popular underground sport, formed with influences from Earth Rumble. Gameplay involves two teams of three benders of individual styles, and the objective of the sport is to gain as much territory within the ring as possible within a set amount of time during each round, or, alternatively, to push the opposing team over the edge of the ring. 'King of the Hill' King of the Hill involves any number of players in their attempt to "dethrone" the reigning king or queen, who is located on a pre-designated plot of land called the "throne" or "hill". Those who oppose the monarch may, depending on the rules decided by the players, use whatever skills they have to take the throne, but the game is not meant to be dangerous. To win the game, at least one player must find a way to remove the monarch from his or her throne and claim it by taking the place atop the "hill" or other pre-chosen destination. The reigning king or queen may retaliate however he or she feels is necessary to defend his or her royalty, but leaving the throne forfeits the monarch's title and leaves the throne up for grabs. While choosing that the destination of the throne is a different place from the predetermined location mid-game is considered cheating, if the king or queen literally moves the hill (changes the location of the hill by using a skill to relocate the plot of land chosen as the throne) is not. 'Pai Sho' Pai Sho is a two-player strategy game, bearing resemblance to both Chinese chess and checkers. It is a popular pastime enjoyed by people around the world. The most famous Pai Sho tile is the white lotus. 'Water, Earth, Fire, Air' This game bears a great resemblance to rock, paper, scissors, except that it uses the four elements. The cycle of the Seasons is used to win, and as such, Water beats Earth, Earth beats Fire, Fire beats Air and Air beats Water. 'Yoga' Yoga is a type of exercise and a natural therapy used for meditation, relaxation, and medical benefits like stress reduction; it has many types of positions and respiration techniques.